Top 10 List: Best Cupcake Recipes

Cupcakes have taken on a life of their own over the last ten years or so. Chic little shops have popped up everywhere, there are numerous TV shows based on the handheld confections, and the flavor combinations seem endless. Aside from two cupcake shops (Baked & Wired in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC and a now-closed cupcake shop in Delray Beach, FL), I have yet to be blown away by any cupcake from any of those chic little shops. Most times I find the cupcakes to be rather dry and the frosting just okay.

As a result, I revel in making cupcakes at home. All kinds of cupcakes – chocolate, vanilla, pumpkin, red velvet, boozy – it’s all fair game. Below is an updated list of my 10 favorite cupcake recipes… Enjoy!

The shot is a “bomb shot,” but it is also named after the many bombings that took place in (mainly) Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The shot is only available in the U. S. and many Irish-native or ancestral bartenders refuse to serve it. I wouldn’t ask for it in N. Ireland, Ireland, or Europe unless you are into fisticuffs.

You need to wake up Veronica! I wonder if you’re one of many insensitive US surbanites who have no clue what other parts of the world really live on day to day basis. I am ashamed of you. Naming a cupcake or drink after events that hurt and destroy the lives of others is heartless to say the LEAST.

I agree. It was originally a terrible and tasteless name for a shot–there is no reason to replicate it on a cupcake. (think of a “9/11 cupcake” if you need a similar reference). I notice that the name has been changed, thankfully. Just a heads up–the picture caption has not been changed, and still comes up .

Oh, for Christ’s sake. It’s a freaking CUPCAKE. Want to be outraged? How about getting your panties in a knot over child sexual slavery? Or the fact that people are being beheaded and burned alive by savages? Or the impending extinction of so many animals in the world? But, a cupcake? Get a frigging grip.

Actually, the 9/11 is a drink served in Ireland, and consists of two flaming shots served side by side. Seems that everyone tends to be tasteless when naming drinks as long as it’s not their country they’re being tasteless about.

She didn’t name the shot herself, and forgive her for not knowing, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t know every fact about American history if you weren’t born or raised here…and maybe not even if you were. Jesus people are crazy, back off! It’s what’s it’s commonly referred to in certain parts and though it may be a sensitive subject to you, being a total jerk about it is NOT the way to “spread awareness.” You’re just going to make more enemies.

Can not believe all this drama is on a cupcake website. What is wrong with people? Who wakes up, gets on a cupcake site and gets offended by the name of what sounds like an incredible cupcake? Rocky Road cupcakes offend anyone? Cause it offends the heck out of me. Was once walking on a rocky road when a truck past me and I felt the sting of a rock being propelled by the tire and hitting my bare leg. How about the famous Hurricane cupcake? Survived a hurricane as a child that cupcake just might put me in therapy. Turtle cupcakes. Aren’t some species of turtles becoming extinct? How dare they tarnish the name of turtles with a caramel chocolate nutty pastry. Screwdriver infused cupcake. Remember back in the 80s when screwdrivers killed all those people at the hardware store. Tragic! Last but not least the Christmas cupcake. Looks like a winter wonderland and tastes amazing but since its referencing to a holiday that not all people agree with then lets abolish it.

You are the one overreacting. From your facetious tone, I don’t think you understand exactly how brutal the Troubles in Ireland were and how offensive the name “Irish Car Bomb” is. Would you use the n-word to describe a chocolate cupcake? Then don’t make gross generalizations about other nationalities, races, etc. I am fully aware that the original commenter meant no harm, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t learn from her mistakes.

What the heck is there somthing wrong people my husband died one year ago I own a very busy restaurant Italian my daughters and I named our famous meatballs pops balliness the whole town loved this we need to laugh a little more today I love your cupcake recipe its a ********** ten star recipe thank you keep doing it I love to bake God bless

What a bomb of a comment you wrote, Tracie! Was searching for cupcakes recipes and ended up reading this political correctness fIght….until i read about your feelings towards the rocky road cupcake(icecream) :))) Made me laugh to tears! You’re very funny 😉

Oh good grief, give it a rest with the political correctness BS lady. This lady had no intent of offending your delicate sensibilities with a recipe named car bomb. I lost people in the twin towers. If somebody names a cupcake a twin tower cupcake I wont get my panties all in a twist and be all offended and bent out of shape. You progressive liberals need to grow up a little bit. Have you never heard of freedom of speech? I fully expect you to cuss me out now, for that is what politically correct types like you do……. but frankly, I could care less if you rant and rave.

Why do you have to bring politics in to this? What purpose does that serve??

I am liberal to the point of considering myself a Social Democrat (that’s democracy with a heavy dose of socialism, FYI). I’m a feminist, in that I think there should be gender equality across the board. I’m a humanist in that I believe religions are more dangerous to the future of this planet than anything else out there.

That all being said, I’m not offended by the name, and am four-square against the overly PC culture that is being cultivated here in the US.

Maybe (rather then blaming X on whatever group the media has convinced you are your enemies) you can take a moment to realize that these are individuals with individual problems with the name, since is references a tragedy that may have affected them directly.

Not everything is politically polarized, and your insistence on posting things like this on the internet only illustrates how easily you’ve allowed yourself to be manipulated by those who profit on distracted masses.

all your cupcakes look fabulous but, the mocha cupcakes are calling me! love the contrast of cake to frosting! quick q: do you ever use non-stick baking spray inside the liners? i am always concerned about the baked cupcakes sticking to the liners…but, i do not like the “greasy” appearance when sprayed.

Hi Linda, I never spray the pan for cupcakes, I always use liners. I just think they’re easier/less messy (plus cuter!) to pick up and eat with liners. I do sometimes just spray and omit the liners for muffins though.

I have been spraying the inside of the liners lately and it works wonderfully to decrease the amount of cupcake lost to paper. If you are using colored liners, however, the spray may contribute to color fade!

it’s nuts to me that Baked and Wired is virtually unknown, but two blocks away another cupcake shop has a tv show and lines out the door. as far as i can tell they only won the popularity contest because they’re on the main street, NOT because their cupcakes are better.

I always have cupcakes on the brain. I especially like any that have cookies or candy in the batter. I’m making chocolate salted caramel cupcakes for a party this week and I know just from the name that I will love them. Also, cupcakes that have a filling piped in…yum.

I think I’ll have one of each! It would be a hard call to pick a favorite,I love so many different varieties and yours all lookincredible! I guess if you twisted my arm I would say my favorite is a vanilla cupcake with raspberry filling and buttercream icing with a touch of almond extract and vanilla beans, okay I did it!

You could open your own chic little cupcake boutique with these darlings! I was wowed the first time you posted your margarita cupcake! I haven’t done much cupcake baking before, but this list is inspiring!

Hi Francesca, I have been to Georgetown Cupcakes (their Georgetown location), actually on the same day we went to Baked & Wired, so it made for a good comparison. I thought their cupcakes were average to good – not bad but not terribly special either. In my opinion, Baked & Wired blew them out of the water.

I actually JUST went to Georgetown cupcakes last week and was so terribly underwhelmed. Expensive and just not very good. Dry and flavorless cake paired with sub par frostings. I’ve made many of your cupcake recipies and they are so much better.

for a Arabian Travel Market Exhbition in Dubai they floe the chefs all the way to Dubai to try out DC cupcakes… Was a big fan the girls show but not so much after I got the chance to try thier cupcakes its avarage cupcakes with nothing special.

They’re not *bad*, but they aren’t amazing, and they aren’t worth the price or the hype, in my opinion. I’ve had them on several occasions, and I found the cake to be dry and the frosting to be overly sweet. I’ve actually never had a moist cupcake from there before.

I have to make those tiramisu cupcakes. They are absolutely gorgeous and packed with some of my favorite flavors. As for the gourmet cupcake shops, I agree with you completely about the dryness of the cupcakes.

My favorite cupcake comes from a silver Airstream trailer on South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas. The place is called Hey, Cupcake! Their 24-Karat cupcake is a revelation! It’s a world-class carrot cake confection with cream cheese frosting. For a few pennies extra, they’ll put a whipped cream “shot” right down into the middle of it. Have mercy, it’s fantastic!

Hey Cupcake is the best! I can’t wait to try some of these recipes myself today. I love Brown Eyed Baker’s sugar cookies with royal icing. Taught me how step by step-thank you! Made the cookies for a bachelorette party this weekend that were not only cute, but everyone thought they tasted fantastic! Thanks Brown Eyed Baker!

I’ve always been a huge fan of Hey Cupcake! Once I left Austin I had to start learning how to bake cupcakes myself cause I missed them so much. We have Trailercakes up here in Dallas, and they have some really delightful flavors and combos. Their PB&J cupcake is amazing, and their Carmel Eileen is out of this world.

I’ve made nearly every cupcake she has on this site, and have to say the Margarita and the Guinness/Baileys/Jameson ones are my favs, and always go over so well.

Your cupcake making skills are absolutely BOMB DIGGITY! How beautiful they all are! I’d have to say that my favorite would probably have to be my Annabelle Carrot Cupcakes: http://bit.ly/gOr2em They’re soooo flavorful and moist, the perfect couple of bites. Plus, they have a bittersweet story behind them.

The tiramisu and pumpkin are calling me!! And I totally agree with you…most specialty cupcake places aren’t worth what they charge. Much better to make them at home. Can’t wait to try these!!! Thank you!

Your cupcake recipes are always awesome! I was wondering though, have you ever tried putting heavy cream into the icing to make it fluffier? If so, how did it work out and how would it correspond with your existing buttercream icing recipes?

I completely agree with you about the cupcake shops. It did not surprise me to see “Dozen” close its doors — I could not believe how dry the cake was, and thought the same thing you did — mine taste so much better!

I have seen those gals on Foodnetwork put the hot cupcakes in the fridge to cool them off faster. My mother always told me the cakes get dried out doing that. Could that be why these professional bakeries are getting dry cupcakes?

When I bake cakes for decorating I always put the cake directly into the freezer after removing from pan. I remove the cake the next day and skim coat with icing while frozen to reduce crumbs mixing with icing. My cakes are super moist and I believe it is from freezing them while still warm. Perhaps if cakes or cupcakes were in the freezer for more than 2 days they might become dry? I wait until the cake completely cools in freezer before wrapping with plastic wrap and foil. My favorite cake recipe ever is a banana cake that I found on allrecipes.com which is baked at 275 degrees and directions say to freeze cake right from the oven. It is delicious!

Michele – Your blog is just wonderful! I just noticed all the pumpkin recipes! Also, I am waiting for my ice cream attachment for my Kitchen Aid from Amazon any day now. My college kids and their friends will think I am the bomb. Thanks so much for sharing so many good things!

These cupcakes look so good. They were perfect because they were just what I was looking for. The Pumpkin ones looked so cute, and perfect for fall. Especially if you put them on a candy-corn platter. 🙂 All I can say is Mmmm!

Wow! These all look delicious! My personal favorite is red velvet. A few weeks ago, I made some amazing red velvet cupcakes for a party. Someone said that they were comparable to D.C. Cupcakes! Although they were really flat and ugly without the icing, my daughters made some chocolate toppings to go with the cream cheese frosting. They were really good. I think I will have to experiment with the dark chocolate cupcakes with the peanut butter frosting! They look great and addicting! 🙂

I’ve tried the peanut butter, banana & coffee espresso from your recipes. Its Niiice & really Thank You for sharing it. But i did a bit modification therefore the cake become softer & not cracking. I shared few of my cupcake recipe & photos in facebook for my friends…..LoL

Wow these are among the most delicious cupcakes I have seen so far online. Did you know that with a few modifications you can make them glow in the dark? It would be a hit on your next party! Anyway it is just an idea I came across.

I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your head before writing. I have had a tough time clearing my mind in getting my thoughts out. I do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or tips? Kudos!

Thank you! Truly, it just all depends on my frame of mind. Sometimes the words come naturally and sometimes it’s more of a struggle, but I don’t do anything intentional before I start writing. Best of luck to you!

Hi! You make such fabulous cupcakes! I can’t wait to try out all of them! I’ve got a problem with the cupcake casings going loose from the cupcake. Have you ever had such a problem? What am I doing wrong or not doing?

Hi Karen, I’ve heard from other folks about similar problems, although I’ve never had an issue with it. Make sure you don’t use wax-lined cupcake liners. I’ve always used the cheap plain paper liners without a problem.

Hi Willow, You can do it a few different ways; usually I either cut a little hole in the middle and put the filling in, or I push a decorating tip into the middle and pipe the filling in. Each recipe will have instructions on how to do it.

I am disgusted that you think it is appropriate to call a cupcake an Irish car bomb. Nearly 3,000 people were killed by terrorists during the troubles and yes a car bomb is a device used by terrorists. Rename your recipe and show some decency and respect for the people of Ireland. But most of all don’t trivialize terrorism!

As somebody who lost a cousin in the Birmingham (UK) bombings, bombs planted by Irish nationalists, I sincerely you never experience the pain, tears and loss our family endured. Next time you think to name a cake recipe – A CAKE RECIPE – after a terrorist device devised solely to kill and maim innocent people, I hope you’ve grown up a little and think again.

I tried making the Lemon-Limocello cupcakes and they rocked my family! They loved them and are always asking for more! I wanted to try fillling it with raspberry instead of lemon…would this work the same? thanks!

I can tell you from experience that the Margarita cupcakes are the best EVER!! My daughter made those as well as chocolate peanut butter cupcakes (filled with peanut butter egg filling) and the Margarita cupcakes went first. everyone absolutely loved them!! The cake is light, fluffy, and moist, and the frosting with the hint of salt perfectly complements the cake. Worth making!!!!

I want to market the all kind of the above Cupe cake, and i sure this is very good products for business, I am more then 12years FMCG Experience (food& baverages) in Pakistan, please advcie how i will contact you even on email to discusses about that business, Thanks

I am appalled that you would have the insensitivity to name a cup cake ‘Irish Car Bomb’. If you had the slightest idea of the misery caused in N Ireland by such devices you would hang your head in shame at the affront of such a name. My advice to you you is read Lost Lives that might bring some perspective to your idiotic stance.

I loved three of your cupcakes. The Mocha with Espresso Frosting were excellent and had great flavor, as did the Vanilla with Vanilla Frosting (I used vanilla bean paste in the frosting instead of extract). I loved the Dark Chocolate Cupcakes; I’m not much of a peanut butter fan, so I have substituted almond butter and pecan butter in the frosting, both of which were excellent. I plan to try cashew butter, maybe even macadamia/cashew. All three of these cupcakes have frozen perfectly. I don’t drink and I’m not going to buy a bottle of booze to make cupcakes, but eventually I might try alcohol substitutes, e.g. Torani’s Irish Cream.

Totally agree with your comments about the price and quality of cupcakes in “chic” cupcakeries! I am often disappointed…however I have tasted some fabulous homemade ones by the people I work with…namely a mud cake cupcake with chocolate ganache icing I had on Friday…to die for!

I myself am only a fan of the banana cupcakes. There are lots of cupcake flavors I love, but off your top ten not so much. My absolute favorite was the ultimate chocolate cupcakes. In fact i’m baking a batch right now! Oops, thats the timer. I have cupcakes to eat!

I made the limoncello, banana, and chocolate with peanut butter frosting and the pumpkin for my daughter’s graduation. They were ALL moist and fantastic!! I may try the Irish bomb cupcakes tonight for a party with friends. I love these cupcakes!!

Your cupcakes are so tempting! I am quite a novice in baking. I very much want to try this recipe. Could I use milk or curd instead of buttermilk in the banana cupcake recipe? Or how should I make buttermilk at home? Also, I normally do not use baking soda. Is it mandatory? Thank you so much.

You definitely need to use baking soda when it is called for, as it has specific leavening properties. I would not recommend substituting anything else for the buttermilk; if you need to make it yourself, there is a substitution listed on this page: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/substitutions/

“Best vanilla cupcakes ever!” This is literally what my brother said when I made your vanilla cupcakes for him. I have also tried the red velvet and loved them! Thanks so much for sharing. I don’t consider myself much of a baker, but your instructions were so easy to follow. I can’t wait to try some of the others!

OMG! This is the best website ever! 🙂 Thank you for sharing these recipes! The other day I took my fiancé to our local and most favourite pastry place – Chocolate Brunette and I had the best cupcakes in the world.But they weren’t the classic chocolate cupcakes , they were whole chocolate without the paper thing surrounding the cake. My fiancé was like “When are you going to make something like this?” And I then I decided it’s time to try it. So, I found your website and I think I’m ready to make some now! I’ll try all 10 recipes! But I think I’ll start with the dark chocolate ones.

Wow. I am speechless at the amount of cupcake love that is happening in this post. I want them all. I think the Irish Car Bomb cupcakes seal the deal for me, but Funfetti and Chocolate are a close tie for second place.

My favorite are the dark chocolate with pb frosting – I’ve made those several times now. The cupcake is so rich and chocolaty, and the contrasting pb frosting is a match made in heaven. Probably the pumpkin latte comes in second – even though I’ve only made them once. They were really yummy and unique.

Hi! Your dessert recipes are my go-to for every event I attend. I particularly love your cupcake recipes! I’ve made several & they all come out perfect. My question and/or suggestion for post: I am attending a New Year’s Party & plan to bring one of your cupcakes in mini form (for easy eating). Suggestions for which one to bring? I was thinking of the coconut cupcakes, but how could I decorate the frosting to look festive for the New Year’s? Thanks so much! I really love your blog/site.

Have you tried Gigi’s cupcakes in McCandless Crossing? My sister bought me a mini sample pack for my birthday just this past week and I was impressed! There was a chocolate chip one that was my personal favorite. There was also a red velvet, cookies n cream, and an almond in the sampler. I tend to agree with you that most cupcakes out of bakeries or shops aren’t that great. I have yet to try a regular sized one though so I can’t speak to that. Cupcake goals haha

I agree with you completely! Most store bought cakes and cupcakes do not impress me either. I bake for all the birthday’s in my family, for my birthday we usually order a cake. Last year we threw most of it away. Now for the part I disagree with, I have made a few of the cupcakes on the list and I have been wanting to make the spiced latte one. You forgot your strawberry cupcakes with the strawberry Swiss butter cream. Let me tell you my family loves them!!! I have made them for a couple of years and my youngest step daughter requests them for her birthday. Last year we had a big family party, I changed the cupcake up, I made a double chocolate cupcake with the strawberry Swiss butter cream and dipped them in chocolate ganache. I was told they were the best cupcakes, I had two request to make for parties. Love your site!

I used your chocolate cupcake recipe for my son’s wedding reception last year and received rave reviews! But I am still on the hunt for a white wedding cake style of cupcake that would be equally delicious as well as beautiful for weddings.

OH DEAR. I’m definitely going to have to make those Coconut Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut Frosting for me and then the Guinness, Whiskey and Irish Cream Cupcakes for my husband! Such a great list of cupcakes 🙂

I’m going to try making the Guiness and Irish Cream cupcakes for St. Pat’s Day and I will be doing the Ultimate Chocolate for V-Day. I agree on the cupcake specialty shops – way overpriced for the quality of cupcake you get. I bought 3 cupcakes for $22 and just about gagged because of how poorly made they were.